Knitting machine



Jan. 4, 1938. S N 2,104,231

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl G. 2. F1 G. 3.

11v YEA/70R 1? 0351227! ZAWJ'M' By 25 0 Zlfwe/ ATTy.

Jan. 4, 1938- v R LAWSON 2,104,231

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NYE/V701?ROBERTHZAWSOM ATTy.

Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Application October10, 1932, Serial No. 637,064

4 Claims.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken through a needle cylinder and stitchring and showing a needle and companion sinker-like instrumentality in.the relative positions they assume at the 15 completion of the drawing,or measuring of a stitch;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a sinker-like instrumentality and itscontrolling jack;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a sinker which is preferably mounted in thesame slot as the sinker-like instrumentality shown in Fig. 2;

Fig.4 is a view of a modification showing a needle and sinkercooperating in measuring or drawing a stitch;

Fig. 5 is a View showing another position of the needle and sinker shownin Fig. 4, the parts being in the position they assume just prior to thedrawing of a new stitch through an old stitch;

Fig. 6 is a view showing another position of the parts shown in Figs. 4and 5, the sinker being shown in its knocking over position;

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view in plan of a further modification; I

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the 35 modification showninplan in Fig. '7;

' Fig. 9 is a detail view of a burr wheel showing its'relation to theneedle circle; and

Fig. 10 is a detail view showing a cooperative relation between a needleand burr in drawing 40 or measuring a stitch.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the needle bed I which may be in the formof a cylinder is shown in section and as being provided with removablewalls 2 which provide slots 3 within which slots needles 4 and jacks 5slide, a jack being shown as sliding on the outer surface or edge of aneedle. Spring bands 6 which are retained between lugs '6' forming partof the walls 2, serve to retain the needles and jacks in position in thetricks or slots 5 3 of the needle bed. Adjacent to the upper end of theneedle bed'a sinker head I is provided which is connected to the needlebed in any convenient manner, and as shown each wall 2 is provided withan outwardly projecting lug 8 which is 55 received within companionrecesses provided in the adjacent faces of the sinker head I and asectional ring 9. Screws 10 pass through the sections 9 into threadedengagement with the sinker head I thus clamping the projections 8, whichare received within the mentioned recess, between the sinker head I andthe sections of the ring 9, thereby retaining the sinker head inposition adjacent to the upper end oi the needle bed or cylinder. Theupper portion of the sinker head I is'slotted as at H, a sinker I2 10and sinker-like instrumentality 13 preferably being received within eachslot H. A stitch ring II which may be integral with or suitablyconnected to the needle bed I, surmounts the needle bed at the upper endthereof and is provided 15 with slots It in its upper surface whichslots serve to support the sinkers I2 for sliding movements.

The sinkers I2 perform the usual sinker functions of knocking thecompleted stitches over the tops of the needles and of holding down theweb, edges l6 performing the first named function and nibs l1 performingthe last named function. The sinkers are provided with butts is whichare actuated by cams carried by a cam plate or cam ring (not shown). Abutt I8 is shown on the instrumentality l3, Fig. 2. This butt is notessential to the operation of the instrumentality as, preferably, thesaid instrumentality is retained in the same radial position withrespect to the needle throughout, but in the event that theinstrumentalities are not so retained and friction of an adjacent sinkerl2 causes an instrumentality l3 to move in a radial direction, suchdisplaced instrumentalities may be restored to their proper radialposition by means of the same cams that act upon the butts l8 of thesinkers, likewise acting upon butts I8.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the sinker-like instrumentalities l3 havetheir upper, stitch measuring edges I9 substantially horizontally dis-40 posed at the completion of the stitch drawing movements of thecompanion needles and sinkers, and prior to the stitch drawing movementsthe sinker-like instrumentalities i3 are so positioned that their edgesl9 are inclined with respect to the horizontal, the saidinstrumentalities being permitted to tilt or rock upon fulcrum pointsindicated at 20 in Fig. 2, a recess or cut-away portion 2| provided inthe lower edge of each instrumentality permitting the tilting, theportion of the lower edge indicated at 22, Fig. 2, at such time restingupon the upper surface of the sinker head in the slots ll thereof. Theneedles are provided with butts 23 which are actuated by cams (notshown) which peri- 1 raising and lowering the instrumentalities I 3.

Referring to the modification disclosed in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, it will beobserved that the needles 4 cooperate with specially'shaped orconstructed and operated sinkers 21 in efi'ecting the drawing of thestitches. The sinkers 21 are provided with butts 28 for operation bycams (not shown), and have specially constructed noses or nibs 28 whichcooperate with the needles in the drawing of the stitches. In the formof the invention disclosed in these figures, the sinkers 2! perform allof the usual sinker functions and are constructed and operated so as tobe advanced or projected to the relative position shown in Fig. 4 as theneedles move to a stitch drawing or measuring position, the advancingmovements of the sinkers and the lowering or retracting movements of thecompanion needles occurring at the same time so as to divide themeasuringv of the stitches between the advancing sinkers and descendingneedles, the new stitches being measured over the downwardly andinwardly inclined edges of the nibs as at 30. Immediately after theneedles and sinkers have drawn or measured the stitches, the sinkers areretracted to the relative position shown in Fig. 5, the companionneedles. in the meantime continuing their descent whereupon the measuredstitches leave the measuring edges 38 of the sinkers to the positionshown in Fig. 5 where a newly measured stitch is shown as about to bedrawn through the old loop on the needle. From the position shown inFig. 5 the needles I continue their descending movement until the newstitches are completely drawn through the old stitches, whereupon theneedles rise slightly and the sinkers 2'! are again advanced beyond theposition shown in Fig. 4 to the relative position shown in Fig. 6, theold stitches, the sinker wales of which are in the sinker throats 30',then being knocked over the tops of the needles where they 'join thefabric.

The back and forth movements of the sinkers just described, arecontrolled by means of cams (not shown) acting upon the butts 28 of thesinkers, and are substantially at right angles to the movements of theneedles and instrumentalities.

Referring to Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 wherein another modification isdisclosed, the needles 4 areshown as cooperating with the burrs 8| whichburrs are shown as being radially disposed in a burr wheel 32 which burrwheel is mounted upon a shaft 33, the axis of which is inclined to theaxis of the needle cylinder (not shown) within slots of which cylinderthe needles 4 independently slide, being controlled by cams which arenot shown. As indicated in Fig. 7, the burr needles As the needles 4successively move downwardly to a stitch drawing position they engage athread 35 in their hooks finally causing the same to be engaged over theupper edge of a burr at the position 88, Fig. 8, and between ad- Jacentneedles at the positions 31 and 38. Continued rotation of the needlesand burrs carries the needle previously at. the position of I! to theposition 88 and at the same time causes the burr at the position 36 tomove to the podtion 88, the

downward movement of the needle from the position 81 to the position 38and the upward movement or the burr from the position 38 to the position38 causing a loop to be drawn and measured. Fig. 10 showsa -needle andburr in the respective positions 38 and 38 at which time the newly drawnloop is shown as about to be released from engagement with the upperedge of the burr I I, continued rotation of the burr wheel causingwithdrawal of the burr II from engagement with such stitch or loop.

Although not necessarily a part of the present said needles andinstrumentalities to cooperate in the drawing of stitches, the resultbeing that the stitches constituting the sinker and needle wales aremuch more even than is ordinarily the case when the needles alone do thestitch drawing; furthermore, it is possible by dividing the stitchdrawing movements between needles and other instrumentalities to havethe needles moved to a stitch drawing position at an angle less than thecustomary 45 degree angle whereby the machine can be operated at ahigher speed.

It will be understood that when instrumentalities are referred to orclaimed, it is the intention to refer to elements I8, 21 or II, orsimilarly constructed and/or operated elements.

In the foregoing description and in the drawings the parts constitutingthe several modifications have been described in specific terms andshown in detail; however, it is not the intention to limit the inventionto the precise details of construction described and shown other thanasrequired by the scope of the claims themselves.

In all the sinker constructions hereinbefore referred to, whetherillustrated ornot, the stitch measuring edge or part ofthe sinker or webholder may be the sinker nib, i. e., the upper edge of such nibs movingupwardly as the needles themselves participate in drawing their stitchesor shoulders may be provided on the nibs to draw the stitch against theco-acting needle shank as the needles descendf I have referred todownward movement of the needles, but it is obviously to be understoodthat by downward I mean simply a movement of the needle to draw thestitch, and such movement may, according to the type of machine, be adownward or upward or inward or outward movement.

I claim: 1

1. A needle bed having needles, instrumentalities for cooperating withthe needles inthe draw-. ing of stitches and jacks for actuating saidinstrumentalities, the jacks being mounted in the same slots ascompanion needles and supported for sliding movements on the outer edgesor faces of the companion needles.

2. In a knitting machine, a needle and companion instrumentality and aJack for moving the instrumentality in one direction as the companionneedle movesiin the opposite direction thereby to cause the needle andinstrumentality to divide the drawingv or measuring of a stitch betweenthem, the jack being provided with lugs straddling "a portion of theinstrumentality, and means functioning upon said jacks to return them toinitial position whereby the movement of the jack in either of twodirections is transmitted to the in-' 'strumentalit-y, the movementsimparted to the instrumentaiity being, as aforesaid, to assist in thedrawing or measuring of a stitch and to retract the instrumentality fromits extreme stitch drawing or measuring position to an initial position.J 3. Ina knitting machine, a means for dividing the stitch'drawing ormeasuring consistingof a.

needle, sinker and instrumentality, the needle and instrumentalit'ybeing movable in opposite directions for the purpose of drawing ormeasuring a stitch and the sinker being movable in a directionsubstantially at right angles to the directions of movements of theneedle and instrumentality, for the purpose of knocking over completedstitches.

4. In a knitting machine a needle; companion instrumentality and sinker,the two first named being adapted to cooperate in the measuring of astitch by movements in opposite directions, a slotted sinker head, theinstrumentality and com panion sinker being mounted in the same slot inthe sinker head.

Y 1 BOBERTH. LAWSON.

